How do you get to know someone? Your first impression tells you very little. It is impossible to get to know youth if you don’t ask them questions. These “Getting to Know You” questions are designed to be used for several different reasons.

  1. They can be good conversation starters when you first meet your campers.
  2. They can be great discussion starters—many of these questions will reveal the values and beliefs of those answering them.
  3. They can be a transition from the fun of the day to the seriousness of the moment (devotion time, etc.).

Helpful Hints

  1. If you are asking the cabin group the question, make sure every camper comes up with an answer. Don’t let anybody slip through by saying, “I don’t know,” or, “Ask somebody else.”
  2. When a camper’s answer is obviously not biblical, don’t immediately jump down his throat. Realize that he is being honest with what his needs and values are.
  3. Encourage your campers to be honest and serious with their answers. Do this before anyone begins to answer.
  4. You should be prepared to answer the question as well. Usually, waiting until everyone has answered is incentive for the group to answer. Sometimes, being the first one to answer breaks the ice so that others will be open.
  5. Ask for volunteers to answer. After all of the volunteers have answered, ask each of the others to answer.

In order to better serve, we must know what the need is. Ask the question and be interested in the answer. Some of the questions are more serious than others. As you read them over, some may seem redundant; just ask one question at a time. Before you know it, your campers will look forward to the next “Getting to Know You” question.

  1. You are to die in 48 hours. Your present circumstances and abilities will not change. What will you do?
  2. What are the best 10 years of life?
  3. My tombstone will say . . . .
  4. Of all the material possessions you own, what gives you the most pleasure?
  5. If you had to be a type of clothing, what would you be?
  6. One thing that really ticks me off about Christians is . . . .
  7. I wish my parents would . . . .
  8. ____________ is my hero because he/she ________________.
  9. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
  10. Assuming your spouse-to-be is a Christian, what are the two most important traits of him/her?
  11. Share the two best qualities about yourself that would make you a good catch for your spouse.
  12. The worst thing about dating is . . . .
  13. I have never been so embarrassed as the time I . . . .
  14. My greatest achievement in life so far is . . . .
  15. My favorite game/activity growing up was ___________. Why?
  16. Describe the perfect person to date.
  17. My movie star hero is _______ because ___________.
  18. What will your retirement be like?
  19. What is the first major thing you will buy once you are on your own?
  20. If the United States went to war, would you join or be drafted? What would you like to do?
  21. What will be the most important room in your future mansion?
  22. How do you brush your teeth? Why do you do it that way?
  23. If you were on your deathbed today, looking back—what would be the happiest day of your life?
  24. When were you the most scared?
  25. If you had to be an animal, what would you be? Why?
  26. How many kids do you want? What do you want them to do when they grow up?
  27. If you had a choice, in what year or era would you like to have been born?
  28. If you moved tomorrow, what would you miss the most (besides friends)?
  29. My seventh-grade nightmare was/is . . .
  30. The most tragic day of my life so far has been . . .
  31. Using your imagination, what would you like to do, see, or be in Heaven?
  32. If the entire world died of a vicious virus and you were the only one left, what would you do? (The next question goes with this one.)
  33. If you had the power to bring one person back to life, who would it be?
  34. If you could be a home appliance, what would you be? Why?
  35. If your great aunt dies and leaves you $10,000 that must be spent in six months, what would you do with the money?
  36. As a parent, I am going to make sure that I . . . .
  37. If you took the place of one living person, who would it be?
  38. If you could live the life of one dead person, who would it be?
  39. According to your plans and dreams, what do you anticipate to be the crowning achievement of your life?
  40. One hundred years from now, what invention or product will make the biggest difference in day-to-day life?
  41. Where do you plan to go on your honeymoon?
  42. If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what age would you be?
  43. My closest friend would say we were close friends because I . . .
  44. With two adjectives, describe your parents.
  45. With two adjectives, describe your friends.
  46. What event in this lifetime got you in the most trouble?
  47. Your auntie decides to pay all the expenses of your life for five years. What five years do you choose? What do you do with the money?
  48. If you could ask God one question and receive an answer, what would you ask?
  49. What has been the best day of 2017 (or whatever year is ending)? (Ask at the end of the year.)
  50. If you were going to be a TV character, who would you be?
  51. You inherit a lifetime retainer. What does that person do for you?
  52. If you could own a chain of restaurants, which one would it be? What would you do in the business?
  53. You become dictator, not president, of the United States. What is the first law you enact?
  54. You have one week to do anything. All your money must be spent the first day of the week. You can spend any amount of money on the first day but keep nothing after the week is over. What would you do that week?
  55. You find a bottle of elixir in an old mine; the label says “The Best.” You read the directions and realize that whatever you are thinking about when you drink it, you will become the “best in the world.” What would you think about as you drink “The Best”?
  56. Would you rather live to be 83 and be healthy and poor or be filthy rich and die at 39?
  57. If you could go back in time and witness one event, which event would it be?
  58. You will become a cosmonaut for three years. You will live in an 8’ x 8’ space. What will you take with you?
  59. What is a bad habit or bad choice that 18 to 20-year-olds have or make?
  60. What is the worst job you could have? Why?
  61. What has to happen this summer for you to look back and say, “This was a good summer”?
  62. What is the best day of the year?
  63. What day has been the worst day of your life?
  64. If you could change the outcome of one historic event, what would you change? How would it be different?
  65. Your parents find a treasure chest worth $1.5 million. What do you recommend they do with it?
  66. What are you looking forward to the most or least when you go to college?
  67. If you were able to get a gold medal in one Olympic sport, which one would you choose?
  68. What was the most exciting 30 seconds of your life?
  69. What household job do you like the least/most?
  70. If you had to choose someone outside your family to be your brother or sister, who would it be?
  71. What is the symbolism of your own personal flag? (This one is fun. I think you could even make it into an activity.)
  72. What do you know that nobody else in this room knows?
  73. If you knew you were going to die, what would you eat for your last meal?
  74. If you knew you were going to die and you could only write two letters, to whom would you write?
  75. What would you do differently if you knew when you were going to die?
  76. If you could add another part to your body, what part would you add?
  77. I am glad I am me because . . . .
  78. If you could have one thing that someone else has or had, what would it be?
  79. If you had to write a personal ad, what would it say?
  80. Why should we feel sorry for you?
  81. What have you done to qualify as being a good nerd?
  82. What is the worst breakdown in a vehicle that you have been involved with?
  83. What has been your favorite vacation?
  84. If you had $86,400 deposited in your bank account every day and whatever you did not spend would be deleted, what would you do? (After asking, tell them that everyone has 86,400 seconds that God gives them every day they live. What are they doing with those seconds?)
  85. What will be your hobby when you turn 65?
  86. I wish I could always . . . and never . . . .
  87. What will you wait to do until after you are 40?
  88. If you lived in the 1800s, what would be your occupation?
  89. What decade in the 1900s would you want to live in?
  90. If you had to marry somebody you do not know well, who would it be?
  91. If you had to give up a food, what food would be hardest to
    give up?
  92. If you could prevent one thing from happening in your lifetime, what would it be?
  93. If you had to compare yourself to a sandwich, what kind of sandwich would you be? Why?
  94. If you were a fruit or vegetable, which one would you be. Why?
  95. What adjective would your parents use to describe you?
  96. If you could be one of the superheroes, what superpower would you have?
  97. What is the most dangerous thing you have done on purpose?
  98. If you could have the world’s largest collection of something, what would it be?
  99. If I give you $100 that must be spent today on something you do not already own (clothes, music, etc.), what would you buy?
  100. I love ____________ (does not have to be a person).
  101. How are you today? (Have them talk for 30 seconds.)
  102. What is the meanest thing a friend has done to you?
  103. What do you remember about kindergarten?
  104. If you had to be a car, what model would you be? Why?
  105. If you could not live in North America, in what country would you live? Why?
  106. If you could ask a person just one question, what one question would you ask? (No, you cannot ask for more questions.)
  107. You join the S.S. Minnow for a three-hour tour and find yourself shipwrecked on an island. Of course, the Skipper and Gilligan were your guides. What other four people would you want with you on the island?
  108. Imagine this: You have been guilty of slamming things (people, doors, etc.). A judge sentences you to be a door for a year. What door would you choose to be?
  109. What is the worst and best part of being male or female?
  110. What is the gutsiest thing you have ever done?
  111. If you could have for a pet an animal not normally a pet, what animal would be your pet?
  112. What is the best thing you did on a Fourth of July?
  113. If you were going to be a tie, what would you look like? Who would you be on?
  114. If you ruled the world for 24 hours, what would you do?
  115. You visit the Middle East and get kidnapped. What would you do (to escape, survive, stay sane, etc.)?
  116. What is one quality you want to teach your future teen (son/daughter)?
  117. How will your will be different than anybody else’s will?
  118. If you could ask one yes or no question (and get the answer) about your upcoming death, what would you ask?
  119. If you could have one thing that someone else you know has, what would you take and from whom?
  120. My favorite or worst part of the first day of school is . . . .
  121. If you had to stay home for three days straight—no school, no TV, no responsibility—but you felt fine, what would you do?
  122. If you were given Air Force One for two weeks, what would you do?
  123. What is your favorite Christmas movie?
  124. What is your favorite book?
  125. What is one character trait you would like to inherit from your parents or grandparents?
  126. What is the most original cat or dog name you have ever heard?
  127. What is a goal you want to accomplish in the next year?
  128. If you could have a certain class taught in high school that is not taught now, what would it be?
  129. If you were a battery on the Wal-Mart shelf, who would you want to buy you? For what?
  130. What is on your Christmas list?
  131. Who would you want to talk to on your deathbed?
  132. We are in the medieval times, and you are King/Queen _____. How would you run your kingdom?
  133. When were you most encouraged?
  134. If you could have everyone of your friends experience one hour of your life, what one hour would you have them experience?
  135. What is your security blanket?
  136. If there were a book written about you, what would it be entitled?
  137. What was the best thing that happened to you in the past two months?
  138. What do you look forward to the most about leaving home?
  139. What redneck tendency do you most exhibit?
  140. What is the dumbest thing one of your pets has done?
  141. What do you get in trouble for the most often?
  142. What do you like most about summer?
  143. Who was your favorite elementary teacher? What grade? Why?
  144. Besides your parents, for better or for worse, who has had the greatest influence on your life?
  145. Who was your worst elementary teacher? Why?
  146. If you lived in caveman times, what item from today would you want with you?
  147. If you had to be a dog, what kind of dog would you be?
  148. How would this world be different if you were not living?
  149. If you were given a two-month summer vacation, where would you go? What would you do?
  150. If you were a house, where would you be located? What style would you be?
  151. What is the nicest thing that someone who is not a family member has done for you?
  152. What was your last worst experience?
  153. If you could be a cookie, what kind would you be? Why?
  154. If you had to choose a Pooh character that was like you, who would it be? Why?
  155. If you could choose seven words to say before you died, what seven words would you choose?
  156. If you had a free plane ticket to anywhere, where would you go? Why would you go there?
  157. If you could spend only $10 on Christmas gifts, what would you buy and for whom?
  158. If you had to choose one of your teen years to live over, which year (choose only one) would you choose? (This one works well with those who have already lived most of their teen years.)
  159. Why do you have your particular middle name? Is there any meaning behind your first name?
  160. What is the most important on/off switch in your house/life?
  161. What is the greatest gift that another person has given you?
  162. If you could be best friends with anyone in the world, who would you choose?
  163. If you had the opportunity to be automatically trained and prepared completely, what occupation would you want?
  164. What quality of Christ do you admire the most? Why?
  165. What is the perfect breed of dog? Why?
  166. If you could go back to any period of time in history and tell one person a piece of information about the future, who would you tell? What would you tell? Why?
  167. What breed of dog best describes your dad? Why?
  168. What breed of dog best describes you mom? Why?
  169. If you could remove one insect from the world, which insect would have to go?
  170. If you could make one decision as President, what would it be?
  171. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? Why?
  172. What would you like to be doing with your life at 30?
  173. If you left the United States for a foreign mission field, what do you think you would miss the most?
  174. You have been marooned on a deserted island for five years. One day you notice a watertight trunk has washed ashore. What do you hope is in the trunk?
  175. If you could be a part of an automobile, what part would you be and why would you like to be that part? (Example: The steering wheel because it gives guidance and direction to the rest.)
  176. If you could bring to life any fictional character from any book, whom would you choose?
  177. “If I had a dollar for every time I __________, I’d be a rich person.” How would you fill in the blank?
  178. What previous New Year’s resolution have you kept?
  179. If you had to watch people for eight hours, where would be an interesting place to do your observing?
  180. If you were an inventor, what area of life would you like to make easier? What type of invention would you invent?
  181. If you could take back any action, what would it be?
  182. If you had a personalized license plate, what would it be? Why?
  183. What is your favorite bumper sticker?
  184. If you could ask everyone in your church or youth group one question, what would that question be?
  185. What is the top item on your I-would-like-to-do-this-before-I-die list? (e.g., learn to fly, write a book, travel to)
  186. If you could take over as leader of an existing country, what country would it be? Why?
  187. If you could be a type of chair, what type would you be? Why?
  188. If you worked at Wal-Mart, what would you want to do?
  189. If you could go into the future and live one day of your life and then come back, what day would you pick?
  190. If you could choose between having gills (like a fish) or wings (like a bird), which would you choose? Why?
  191. How the next 365 days going to be different than the last 365 days?
  192. Playhouse, treehouse, or fort—describe place you had or feature you wish you had with your place as a kid . . . .
  193. Which one is more scary—basements or attics? Why?
  194. True story: a Salt Lake City man found a 75-lb orange bag full of cash that fell out of a Brinks armored truck. Estimated value of a bag of $20 bills that size would be $680,000. He returned the money, not expecting any reward—it was just the right thing to do. If that was you, would you expect a reward for your honesty? How much? (Follow up to discussion—Brinks gave him $5,000.)
  195. What do you want to be known for at your funeral?
  196. How did you figure out what team (e.g., football, soccer) to root for?
  197. What do Christmas decorations tell you about people? Or your family?
  198. Why do people like technology so much?
  199. Who in this room will live to be the oldest? Why?
  200. You must spend a $100,000 on a hobby. What is your hobby?
  201. You get to be fly on a wall for a day. What wall do you choose??
  202. What is something you believed as a child but now you don’t?
  203. If you could invite a well-known person to come over to your house for a few hours, whom would you invite?
  204. If you could raise someone from the dead, who would it be?
  205. If you could add two hours to any part of the day, which part would you make longer?